Stained Glass
by MsWolffe
Summary: Because that's what life is- the small snippets, the pieces of memories, lost somewhere in time; the little fragments of shattered glass that create the whole window when put together. Companion piece to Disenchanted Lullaby.
1. Halloween

**Damn guys I'm tired. I've been all afternoon outside training horses and stuff. I should be sleeping, but no becaUSE IVE GOT **_**Queen of Timey Wimey Stuff **_**IN MY LIFE AND MY LITTLE BALL OF SLOVENIAN SUNSHINE PRESSURED ME INTO THIS.**

**SO THIS IS HER FAULT.**

**DAMN YOU, YOU BEAUTIFUL EUROPEAN WRECK.**

**ALSO- if you're new, go read Disenchanted Lullaby first. I strongly recommend it if you want to make sense of anything in here. This is the not-quite-sequel of sorts. And obviously has spoilers for the first story. Duh.**

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><p>Rating: K+<p>

Timing: Roughly six or seven months after Natalie becomes a spirit. (A/S)

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><p>I<p>

HALLOWEEN

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><p>"Nay."<p>

"Come oooon!" Jamie pleaded.

"Nay." Natalie repeated. She didn't like repeating herself.

"But it'll be _fun!"_ The child looked at her all big expectations and hope.

"Wron' person to ask 'bout _fun_, lad."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

Natalie sighed. She could've been off doing- whatever else. She didn't have to do pretty much anything these days, so she could lie underneath a tree and play her violin all night.

Make that _could have_.

Unfortunately there was a miscalculation in her plans, a slight change of route by the name of Jack Frost.

The damn imp.

Somehow, he dragged her half across the world because '_Oh hey Nat super fast Jamie needs your help come on!' _and then left. Sometimes she still wondered-_out loud_- how she put up with him- and then he'd simply smile roguishly at her and that was all. He didn't even need to _talk_. That smile was her biggest problem- that and having fallen for the sprite.

"Ask Jack." Natalie toyed with the fur at the edge of her hood. "Or, anyone else b'sides me. They won't even _see_ me."

"That's not the point!" He ran a hand through his hair. "What, don't you _like_ Halloween?"

"Um, actually-"

"Wait what?!" He gaped at her. "What sort of person doesn't _like _Halloween, Nat?!"

"Uh-"

"I _need_ to make you like Halloween!"

"Now that's a bit too-"

"I _must_ do it! It's settled. It's my _mission_."

She sighed again.

"But Jamie. I don't _want_ to dress up in some lousy costume."

"I'll let you pick your own!"

She stopped her train of thought. Then she smiled.

"I 'ave one condition. Jack is comin' too. And I also get to pick _his_."

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><p>"Woah, okay, <em>no."<em>

"But it will be _fun_." She mimicked Jamie from earlier.

"I never agreed to this!" He threw the offending yellow garment aside. "I won't do it!"

"Ye know..." Natalie adjusted her wig. "I would've thought ye'd be _so _into this couple costume thingy." She stopped. "Where are me boots?"

"But not _this!" _He saved said boots before Fang could chew through them. He didn't save them, however, from the copious amount of saliva. "_This_ is ridiculous!"

"Didnee ye want to make 'em laddies an' lassies laugh?" She pressed. Now with_- sticky_- boots on, she only needed her belt and she'd be ready to go. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and smirked.

_Perfect._

"But not _at _me!"He encircled Natalie's waist with his arms and put his chin on her shoulder. "Have some sympathy?" He begged.

She raised a defiant eyebrow at his pouting lips and shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"Methinks... _nay."_

"You're evil."

"Ye adore me anyways. B'sides, this is _yer _fault. Ye set me up for this."

"But I wasn't expecting-"

"Ah. Ye should've been."

He furrowed his brow. "Helloise is rubbing off you, Nat."

"Mayhaps."

"I don't like it."

"Cry me a river, love."

He blinked and smiled immediately afterwards. "Love?" He chuckled.

Natalie angled her face away to hide her light blush. Sometimes words simply... came out. There was no stopping them. Apparently, she _did_ feelings more than she thought.

It was maddening.

"Get over it, Jackaline."

"_Love?_" He repeated; laughter in his voice. "So you can say that stuff, but I can't call you-"

"Ah._ Do. Not."_

"Why?"

"Because."

"Oh wow, logic. Answer of the year. I would've never thought of that, please, Natalie, keep showing off your eloquen- _oof!"_

She had thrown the yellow costume at his face in a fit of rage. "Just put the damn thin' _on!_" She stressed. "We're late!"

He finally gave in. "Fine, okay, I'll do it. Whatever you want... _babe."_

"I hate ye."

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><p>"Natalie! Jack!" Jamie greeted, along with his friends. They were all dressed up already, and Natalie's eye was instantly drawn to one of the girls- she didn't remember the name, quite frankly- who was dressed as a fairy...with a horn? A fairycorn? Huh.<p>

_Huh._

She swore she heard Jack mutter something along the lines of '_let's just get this over with' _and she brightened at his misery. It was all innocent fun, honestly.

_Honestly._

She could already see the confused expressions on the kids' faces and the little glances they shared- they were wondering if they could laugh or not. In the end, they _were_ kids, so when one let out a low giggle, the rest of them followed in tow, and soon they were all laughing and pointing- yes, actually _pointing_- at Jack Frost.

"Why...?" Jamie lost his voice in a fit of giggles. "Why are you- Oh gosh!" He laughed again.

Jack was mortified.

Natalie delighted.

"Dress!" The boy could finally get out.

"Why are you wearing a- a _dress_?" Another girl- who was recovering faster than Jamie- managed to ask.

Jack crossed his arms and looked pointedly at Natalie.

"B'cause." She grinned widely. "He's pretty. He _knows_ he's pretty. The _world _knows Jack is pretty. So he's Belle. Means _pretty _in French."

The kids laughed again, much to Jack's embarrassment.

"Wait-" Another kid said. "If he's- uh, Beauty..." He glanced confusedly at Natalie's outfit. "Then where's the-"

"Beast?" Natalie finished for him. Then she turned around and put to fingers to her lips- and whistled. Soon the sound of massive paws running down the street was heard, and soon after that Fang appeared, huge and furry and wolf-like as usual- except that somehow Natalie had managed to put him into a blue jacket. He looked happy with his jacket. It suited him.

It was a nice jacket.

"Oh." The kid who had spoken earlier said. "Makes sense."

Fang barked and stood on his hind paws to leave a wet, sticky trail of saliva with his tongue on Jack's cheek.

"Look! He's fallen for Belle already!" Natalie laughed. The kids laughed too.

Jack didn't.

"So..." Jamie looked at the girl. "If he's... Belle. And Fang's the beast. That means you're...?"

"Gaston." She smiled proudly. "So I can go trompin' around wearin' boots!" She looked proud of herself.

She _was _proud of herself.

"What?" Jamie laughed.

"See?" Jack looked smugly at her. "I told you, you're the only _nerd_ who knows the songs by heart."

She narrowed his eyes at him. Then she smiled sweetly and took a huge breath.

"_Wheeeen I was a lad I ate four dozen eggs ev'ry mornin' to help me get large!"_

"No- Natalie-"

"_An' now that I'm grown I eat five dozen eggs so I'm roughly the size of a barge!"_

"Natalie you can't sing!" Jack hissed at her.

Jamie flinched at the sudden noise, but smiled nevertheless.

"_Nooooo one shoots like Gaston, makes those beauts like Gaston, then goes trompin' around wearin' boots like Gaston!"_

"Please stop." He covered her mouth with his hand, making her abruptly stop her one-man-choir.

"Natalie." Jack said very slowly. "You _can't _sing. Stop."

He let go of her and the girl shrugged. "Ye started it."

"No. No I didn't. You just broke into song." He waved his hands around frantically. "And..." He looked at her suspiciously. "You plan to keep on singing the rest of the night, right?"

She smiled. "_I use antlers in all of my deeeecorating!"_

"Um. Natalie?" One of the girls- not the fairycorn- asked. She stopped her singing and looked at her, prompting her to go on.

"Is that... Did you glue a piece of _a rug_ to your _chest_?"

Natalie grinned. "_E'vry last inch of me's covered with hair!_"

Jack groaned.

"I hate you."

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><p><strong>OKAY. On a more serious note, these are just gonna be a series of little snippets and drabbles about things I couldn'twould't/didn't think of putting on the main story. Yeah I know late but whatever. I won't update regularly- it'll be on a whim, mostly. Feel free, however, to throw around some ideas at me- things you'd like to see, prompts, whatever. **

**Any question you may have, as usual, I'm at your service.**

**Ms out.**


	2. Home is Where the Heart Is

**Whaaat next one already? OMG IM SPOILING YOU.**

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><p>Rating: K+<p>

Timing: Roughly a year after Natalie becomes a spirit (A/S)

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><p>HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS<p>

(OR, NATALIE'S ADVENTURES IN REAL ESTATING)

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><p>"So, uh, where are we, exactly?" Jack asked to Bunnymund next to him.<p>

"Thought ya would know" Bunny replied. "Ya spend more time with tha Sheila than us."

"Yeah, well... She's still weirdly obsessed with you, so I thought you may know why are we here... and _where_ is here."

"Beats me, Frosty." He looked around at the others. "Tooth, North, Sandy? Anyone knows?"

"Ne."

"No."

Sandy simply formed a big cross with golden sand above his head.

The message had arrived to the North Pole in one of Natalie's reddish-golden cats- she had learn how to make them appear, and usually used them as messengers for when she was unable to go in person, or, most likely, didn't want to. The liquid-looking animal moved lazily through the air and purred a day, hour and coordinates to them. And then, as they always did, disappeared in reddish-gold tendrils.

"So, where is this, exactly?" Jack pressed. "I mean, obviously we're in a forest, but-"

"Dollar, Clackmannanshire, central Scotland." Came a deep, dreaded voice behind them. "British Isles."

"Pitch!" The Guardians turned around instantly, all acquiring an offensive stance.

Pitch Black stood, as usual, with his back straight, hair combed back, and a subtle gesture of disdain that pulled up the corner of his lip.

"Vhat are you doing here?" North hissed slowly.

The Nightmare king sighed and rolled his eyes. "I was _invited_, same as you lot, I wager. Honestly, I don't know how you get anything done."

"What?" Tooth blinked. "What do you mean, invited?"

"I mean exactly that." He droned on. "What I don't know is why, exactly... But I have a pretty good guess."

"So, are ya friends with Natalie now or what?" Bunny crossed his arms. He didn't like this.

"No. Not friends. However, we're, ah, civil to each other, a term I'm sure you must surely lack the knowledge of."

"Hey, didja just called me _beast_?" Bunny seethed, Toothiana patted his furry arm in comfort.

"So." Jack narrowed his eyes. "Why _do _you think she called us here?"

Pitch sighed again. Honestly. How come they had defeated him, again? Sometimes he still didn't know; they wouldn't be able to find their own heads if they weren't attached to their bodies. Anyways.

"If you look around, you'll see that there's nothing but trees, except" He gestured with his head to the left. "that castle. Campbell castle. I'm _pretty _certain that whatever Natalie wants us to see, it's in that direction."

"That...That makes sense." Toothiana muttered.

"Of course it does."

Jack perked his ears at that. Surely she wouldn't...? Oh, who was he kidding? It was Natalie, she _so _would.

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><p>"You have to be kidding me." Jack muttered.<p>

They were now in front of said castle, and there on the front lawn was a casual chair, and a _very_ familiar overgrown black cat on said chair, with a crown on her head, a book on one of her paws, and a martini on the other. She barely moved one ear towards their direction.

"Why, finally." She purred. "I was starting to think you'd gotten lost." There was an edge of mockery on her tone, as usual."

"What are _you_ doing here" Jack bristled. "_Helloise_?"

To say he didn't like the queen of deceit was an understatement. She had manipulated Natalie during all of her life, most likely, just to fulfill her own selfish desires; and the worst was that Natalie had allowed it. She never thought of even getting away from her- Jack had the impression that the girl actually _enjoyed_ Helloise's company, in some sort of twisted, morbid, way.

But Jack... He'd give up his right hand if that meant that the queen would leave Natalie alone, once and for all. Damned cat.

"I am, as you can see, resting. It's what cats do."

"Where's Natalie?"

"Inside."

"Why?"

"She's making plans. Go ask her."

'_Plans?'_ Toothiana mouthed at Jack, in confusion. He simply shrugged- yeah, so they were officially together now, whatever, but that didn't mean that he actually _knew_ what was going on in Natalie's mind most of the time. She tended to be a bit...

Yeah.

Not that he was actually bothered by it- except when she did stuff like put him on a yellow dress. But then again, that was common risk of simply being with the girl. He smiled to himself.

Before any of them could actually take a step forward, another figure appeared from the insides of the castle- tall, lanky, with a pair of horns and all-black eyes. He was dressed in working clothes, with brown leather gloves on his hands, and black stains of grease here and there. He walked with his back completely straight and made a polite nod at the newcomers.

"Welcome to castle Campbell- soon to be renamed. Should I guide you inside?"

"Uh, who are-"

"I know you." Pitch walked forward. "You're that... waiter. But how- _why_ are you here?"

The stranger darted a small look at Helloise. "My job was... repurposed."

"Wait, who are you, exactly?" Jack ran a hand through his hair. This was getting weirder and weirder.

"Sebastian." The demon-like creature replied. "I'm Miss Natalie's, ah, butler. Or assistant. Whatever her needs happen to be."

"O...kay?" Jack tried.

"Sebastian!" Natalie's voice screeched from inside. "What d'ye think 'bout puttin' a wall up _here_, an' fixin' up _that_ corner of the roof?!" She must have noticed the demonic butler wasn't near her anymore, so she walked outside.

"Ah! Ye came!" She smiled widely at them. "Ye like it?" She gestured towards the castle.

"Nat, babe-" Jack put his hands on her shoulders.

"_Don't._"

"_Please_ tell me you didn't got a castle." Jack winced at her. "_Please_".

She shrugged and smiled even wider. "Well duh. I told ye I was goin' to."

"When?"

"Last month. We were sittin' on that bench in Prague, remember?"

He ran a hand through his hair again. "No. We were lazying around and you just sad 'hm. I should get a castle. Jack, I want a castle.'"

"See? So I got one!"

"But I didn't think you were being serious!"

She disentangled himself from him and rolled her eyes. "Do ignore my overdramatic boyfriend here, please." She addressed the others. "I just, well, ye all have yer lairs and I thought 'hm, maybe I should get an actual home too'. And I missed Scotland. So. Old, abandoned castle. Few people 'round. They already think this place is haunted; so I pulled a couple o' strings with Lisse's help- she's the one who got me Sebastian by the way, as a housewarmin' present o' sorts, he's great, really- and voilá!" She grinned. "I've got a castle. Welcome to the soon to be renamed castle Campbell!"

She turned around and grabbed Sebastian by his sleeve, walking towards the castle again. "Now, I was thinkin' 'bout just fixin' up the minimum necessary rooms, I sort of want to keep this whole 'haunted castle' vibe, so I don't get many mortal visitors. I don't want 'em roamin' 'round my place."

"Of course miss." He replied. "I think I can come up with some sketches for the blueprints."

"Ah, ye truly are a lifesaver!"

"Indeed, Miss."

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><p><strong>So, there's that guys. Hope you enjoyed it! Remember to review. Remember also I'm open to suggestions, ideas, prompts, etc.<strong>


	3. Warmth

WARMTH

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><p>Rating: <strong> M (!)<strong>-ish, nothing explicit. I wanted to see if I could write it, mostly. Also cutesy stuff. Also it may or may not be influenced by some real life stuff. Shut up.

Timing: At some point after _Home is Where the Heart is_

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><p>For all of her sharp edges and cutting words and sandpaper tongue, Jack muses, Natalie manages to be feather soft and warm when she wants to. It's only when they're alone, when it's him and her and <em>them<em> and no one else at the late hours of the night, when it's dark and still and the only thing he can see is _her_ smiling under him- or on top, or next to him, she likes to vary, she tells him- and everything is quiet sighs and sweat and kisses _and she's so warm_, so warm around him and under and over and _everywhere_ and he finds he doesn't really mind her warmth- here, however, he takes a brief moment to appreciate the small irony. _Winter spirit._

She's not loud as he thought she was going to be. For all her incessant banter, she happens to be incredibly quiet at these times- except when she laughs. Because she _does_ laugh- and the first time, oh, he thought she was laughing at him and said so and she simply laughed _again_ and told him that no, she was just happy, and he laughed too because he realised he _was _happy and she was happy and they were happy.

It's at these moments that he notices the different shades to her golden eyes- the molten red specs near the pupil, the warm orange rings towards the outside of the iris. It's at these moments that he has to stop and just _breathe _because he still can't believe how _fucking lucky_ he is, she is truly beautiful inside and outside and when he tells her so in the spur of the moment-

-she arches a thin eyebrow and tells him that _yeah, thanks, she knew that already _and he laughs at her because he know she means it and it just makes her _so _Natalie and he can't help himself.

It's at these times that he completely, truly and honestly realises just at what extent she's his- and he is totally and completely hers too, in ways that sometimes scare him.

It's when they're lying in her bed- it's a lovely bed, huge, perfect for the size of her castle _(and her ego)_- and she traces unknown lines and patterns into the skin of his bare chest- he asked her what they were and she told him she was writing music on his cool skin-; when he snakes his arm around her naked waist and lets her cuddle against him. Their temperatures clash, she's much too warm and he's much too cold, but they don't mind, not really, they have grown familiar to the difference.

And when he finds out she fits perfectly against his side, with her head under his chin and a hand over his heart, when she whispers to him sweet nothings- that she would never say in daylight- while her eyelids flutter shut, when he smiles softly and kisses the top of her head and mutters goodnight and the corner of her lips lift upwards...

_That, _is when he finally, completely, truly and undoubtedly he accepts that no, he doesn't mind her warmth at all.

He simply _adores_ it.

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><p><strong>Okay, short and sweet and adult themes, I hope you liked it! Remember to review and as usual I'm open to prompts, suggestions, or simply small talk.<strong>

**I love talking.**


	4. Green Eyes

**Yo you should all thank Nameless who left a review today and made me decide to actually stop and write for a bit. Thanks bro. Also, I know for a fact that a lot of you (and me) love Lisse, so here's a bit of her.**

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><p>Rating: K+<p>

Timing: Natalie's childhood.

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><p>IV<p>

GREEN EYES

(ALTERNATIVELY: CATS ARE BOTH CURIOUS AND SELFISH)

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><p>The first time, she's looking like a cat, looking down from a tree when she finds a little girl intruding.<p>

Everything that happens in her realm, she knows. It's not unusual really, for the race of men to intrude without being able to know. Annoying, yes, but unusual. Most of times she lets them by, irked by their presence, but not in the mood to do anything about it.

Some other times she feels impish- more than usual- and scares them off.

She pays no heed to the child and resumes her nap. Human beings are boring, anyways.

The second time she's looking like a black fox; it's warm and she's taking a night stroll. Right at the edge there's the girl again, trying to catch fireflies with her bare hands. If it's either dangerous or irresponsible for a little girl to be alone in the dark, she doesn't particularly care.

Another time, the girl ventures further. It's autumn now and she seems delighted in the colour of the leaves, especially the golden ones. She makes a big pile and then runs right into it, squealing in joy.

This time, the queen looks at her, but briefly. She rolls her eyes at the human and spreads her black wings to fly away.

A year later, a cat again, she has been caught in a terrible thunderstorm. She hisses and sputters and curses the fact that she does not have power over the rain, and that it will continue to rain until it stops. It's only with a start that she realises it's raining everywhere _but_ on her now. There's a girl with awfully yellow boots and an equally awfully yellow umbrella standing next to her.

The queen narrows her eyes.

The girl looks at her with big black eyes, and stays there until the rain has passed. Maybe, the queen muses, humans have their own uses after all.

It's not _the _time, but it's an equally important time, in which she observes the girl laughing in her forest, and through the eyes of a black snake she realises the little thing isn't alone. She's playing with two little spirits she has stumbled upon, she talks to them and laughs with them and she's not afraid at all.

Why, the queen thinks, it'd be better to keep track on a creature such as this.

A month later she also discovers through her webs that it's not just small forest spirits, it's banshees and brownies and kelpies and black dogs.

It's also that dull golden lion.

A poisonous feeling gets through her core. She has never been one to share.

It _is_ _the_ time, however, on a night of full moon. She's looking like a woman now, dark and beautiful and regal, and the girl is right in front of her, looking all the parts of just a girl. She's pale and small and is wearing a green dress; her black eyes wide open in curiosity, her slightly damp long hair curling at the tips.

The queen's nostrils flare when she detects a pleasant smell. Yes, she thinks, this one could do. Yes, she thinks, this one could, in time, perhaps even get her crown back.

Yes, Helloise thinks, this one...

_Mine._

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><p><strong>REMEMBER HELLOISE IS BASICALLY A CAT DESPITE EVERYTHING. NEXT TIME: "Romantic night out that turns out disastrous", AS SUGGESTED BY THEFROSTYONE. KEEP YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS COMMING GUYS.<strong>


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